Many years ago ..(..Printed in the Amateur Radio Magazine in 1997 ) ...this really happened ...although the Story was kinda ... stretched a bit....but none the less did happen.
I was going through some of my old Radio Books and remembered keeping this because it was so funny .....
I hope you can read it ok.
Enjoy.....Flash ..!!
Last edited by FlashDrive; 15-03-2013 at 08:54 AM.
For a start, 45 cubic m of helium doesn't even have half the buoyancy required to get a grown man off the ground. Secondly, the ascent rate quoted translates to 90km/h in a vertical direction. (wind resistance?)
I suspect if you jumped off a building with that number of balloons you might actually reach 90km/h (albeit in a downwards direction)
For a start, 45 cubic m of helium doesn't even have half the buoyancy required to get a grown man off the ground. Secondly, the ascent rate quoted translates to 90km/h in a vertical direction. (wind resistance?)
I suspect if you jumped off a building with that number of balloons you might actually reach 90km/h (albeit in a downwards direction)
~c
Who really cares ..this event did happen and was documented .........lighten up and enjoy the Story ............your a real ' kill joy ' aren't you.
What is it with people who want to pick things to bits for the sake of doing so.........such negativity.
Flash ...!!
Last edited by FlashDrive; 15-03-2013 at 01:44 AM.
Who really cares ..this event did happen and was documented .........lighten up and enjoy the Story ............your a real ' kill joy ' aren't you.
What is it with people who want to pick things to bits for the sake of doing so.........such negativity.
Flash ...!!
I agree Colin, true or not, it is a fun story. At least it led to an amusing movie, so there must be some fact there. Or is it someone wild imagination? Who cares, as you say, it is an amusing story, either way.
I can't find a reference anywhere to 45 m^3... only 45 weather ballons...
Can you point out where the volume is listed?
Good point ...I noticed that also ...but refrained from starting a ' tit for tat ' ....but seeing it has been bought up ....would Clive like to step forward and show us how ' knowledgeable ' he is and how he came to his conclusion.
Thanks OICURMT ....at least there are people like yourself here who do read the article PROPERLY ..
Flash ...!!
Last edited by FlashDrive; 16-03-2013 at 09:43 AM.
Well guys. the article does say quite clearly that he had the 45 ballons .... each about 4 feet across when inflated.
As far as I can tell, that would make them almost 1 cubic meter each without splitting hairs, assuming of course that these balloons are roughly spherical.
Good point ...I noticed that also ...but refrained from starting a ' tit for tat ' ....but seeing it has been bought up ....would Clive like to step forward and show us how ' knowledgeable ' he is and how he came to his conclusion.
Thanks OICURMT ....at least there are people like yourself here who do read the article PROPERLY ...and don't post ' unsubstantiated rants ' in the quest of showing their ignorance.
Flash ...!!
I thought it would have been obvious.... but here it is;
A 4' sphere has a volume of slightly less than 1 cubic metre, but let's just call it 1m3 for the sake of argument. The density of air is 1.2kg/m3 (at 20C) Helium has approximately 1/7th the density of air, therefore 45 balloons of 1m3 capacity filled with helium will have a lifting capacity of around 40kg... give or take.
Whilst the following pertains to the second guy, it is instructive with respective to the accuracy of the information conveyed in the snopes page. The ascent rate quoted is 1000' in 12 seconds, this is 90km/h. For a thought experiment imagine you have a balloon 4' in diameter tied to some string. Could you imagine driving down the freeway at this speed with this critter trailing behind you. Do you imagine the drag of the balloon would exert as little as 1kg of tension on your piece of string? Nope... not going to happen.
There is no doubt some element of truth to the story, but the articles that have described it simply cannot be accurate, it's physically impossible.
